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Table of Contents
- Temporary Rule Change Regarding Medicare's 3-Day Hospital Stay to Qualify for Up to 100 Days of Skilled Nursing Facility Care
- My Loved One Is In a Nursing Home and Needs Legal Assistance but the Nursing Home Is Closed to Visitors, What Do I Do?
- My Loved One Is In a Nursing Home or Long-Term Care Facility: How Do We Apply For Medicaid or Government Benefits While Government Offices Are Closed to the Public?
Temporary Rule Change Regarding Medicare's 3-Day Hospital Stay to Qualify for Up to 100 Days of Skilled Nursing Facility Care
Medicare does not pay for long-term care in a skilled nursing facility, but in certain instances, it may pay for shorter-term rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility. Under the standard rules, Medicare does not pay for care in a skilled nursing facility unless the patient is admitted to the hospital for at least 3 days and then is discharged directly to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation.
In light of the expected burden on our hospitals from Coronavirus (COVID-19) the 3-day hospital stay requirement has been temporarily suspended so that (if safe to do so) patients can be moved from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility as possible.
However, we're not sure yet how this will play out in the real world, as we've been receiving word that some skilled nursing facilities have closed to all new admissions in an effort to protect the patients already residing there. We'll post updates as more information becomes available.
My Loved One Is In a Nursing Home and Needs Legal Assistance but the Nursing Home Is Closed to Visitors, What Do I Do?
There may be a lot that you can do on your loved one's behalf outside of the nursing home. Further, while this is rapidly evolving, an attorney can likely still gain access to the nursing home. We've checked in with colleagues in other cities and states and so far, this seems to be holding true in most places.
We expect many government offices may begin experiencing a back-log of cases due to reduced operations, thus it’s important to get your application submitted as quickly as possible.
The best way to proceed will vary from situation to situation based on your loved one's specific needs. Please give our office a call at 919-443-3035 if you need assistance.
My Loved One Is In a Nursing Home or Long-Term Care Facility: How Do We Apply For Medicaid or Government Benefits While Government Offices Are Closed to the Public?
So far, we are still able to assist with submitting applications for government long-term care benefits such as Medicaid and Veteran's Aid & Attendance. We do expect processing times to slow down. However, for most benefits, submitting the application preserves the eligibility date. Thus, it's important to get assistance to get your application filed as quickly as possible.
Please give our office a call at 919-443-3035 if you need assistance filing for benefits.
